This invention relates to laptop computer mounts and more particularly to laptop computer mounts for use in all types of vehicles.
The use of portable computers (e.g., laptop computers) is widespread. In certain applications, portable computers are brought into vehicles, used temporarily and then removed for use elsewhere. For example, in law enforcement, an increasing number of police vehicles are equipped with laptop computers to allow the police officer to enter or retrieve data relating to the operator of a motor vehicle.
In some cases, particularly where the driver is the sole occupant of the vehicle, the passenger seat is used as a work surface for the computer. Of course, doing so comes at the expense of sacrificing the passenger seat, an impractical option in most cases. Using the passenger seat as a working surface is impossible when the vehicle has two occupants in the front seats. For vehicles used only with single occupants, the passenger seat area can be modified to form a more appropriate working surface. Even in this situation, the seated driver must twist into an uncomfortable position to use the computer.
Other solutions to this problem have been sought in the form of brackets allowing the computer to be attached to various parts of the car including the steering column or console. However, the vehicle cannot safely be driven with the device in place because deployment of air bags could damage the computer and/or cause injury to the vehicle""s occupants. Additionally, assembling and disassembling the computer and brackets before and after each use can be time consuming.
The invention features a mount for use in a vehicle (e.g., an automobile) which is comfortably accessible when the vehicle is not moving and can be quickly and easily moved and safely locked into an xe2x80x9cout-of-the-wayxe2x80x9d position before the vehicle is moved. In other words, when the car is stopped, the mount is quickly and easily raised up in a single action to a convenient ergonomic position for typing. On the other hand, just prior to moving the car, the computer can be quickly repositioned in a single action out of the deployed air bag zone.
In one aspect, the invention features a computer mount assembly including a biasing element, a rail assembly, and a mount having a surface for receiving a computer. The mount is connected to a second end of the rail assembly and to a second end of the biasing element, and is slidably movable in a single action between an up position and a down position relative to a first end of the rail assembly and a first end of the biasing element. The single action design allows an occupant of the vehicle to reposition the mount with only one hand instantaneously.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following.
The mount is further configured to be slidably movable in a single action to a plurality of positions between the up position and the down position. Additionally, surface of the mount is adjustable, i.e., tiltable and swivelable. The plurality of positions and surface adjustability allows occupants of different size to move the mount into multiple ergonomic positions. The computer mount assembly further includes a housing to which both the first end of the biasing element and the first end of the rail assembly are connected. A pin is attached to the housing and configured to engage the mount in a plurality of positions.
The biasing element and the rail assembly are positioned relative to a base of the housing to reduce the effective amount of force needed to compress the biasing element, e.g., to about 60% of the end-on force. The biasing element and the rail assembly are attached to the mount at an angle relative to a base of the housing creating an incline plane thereby reducing the effective amount of force necessary to compress the biasing element. The angle between the base and the rail assembly is fixed, e.g., about 45 degrees, whereas the angle between the base and the biasing element varies, e.g., between about 0 to about 40 degrees, as the mount is moved between the up position and the down position. The variable angle design allows longer biasing elements to be used in the assembly without needing to increase the overall height of the assembly in the down position.
The rail assembly includes a first member at the first end and a second member at the second end. The second member is slidable in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first member to a plurality of positions between the up position and the down position by engaging a pin attached to the housing with the mount. The mount is slidably movable between about 6 to about 15 inches away from the housing at an angle of between about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to a base of the housing.
The mount includes adjustable members configured to secure a computer to the surface of the mount. At least one of the adjustable members is secured to the surface with a locking mechanism to protect the computer from theft.
In certain embodiments, the computer mount can be instantly positioned up and toward the rear of the vehicle (e.g., about 8 inches on an angle of about 45 degree) in adjustable increments of about 1 inches to place the computer in a convenient typing location. The mount swivels and tilts for convenient operation and viewing of the computer.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings, the following Detailed Description, and the claims.